The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation

The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation

The Ephesians believed in the Lord Jesus and loved all the saints, but they had not received the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Neither did they have enlightened eyes of the heart so they could know the hope they were called to, and what were the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. Eph. 1:15-19.

This is the state in which most believers are today: They believe in Jesus as their Savior and helper; He is their refuge in need. Of course, then they also gather with like-minded people. They love the saints. Before, they had fellowship with ungodly people who sought their own and were inconsiderate. They never knew whether they would be defrauded or end up in a fight; they had no one to rely on. But when they came in among the saints, it was almost as if they had come among angels. They no longer needed to live in fear and anxiety. Now they had it really good—they had a good conscience, help in time of need, and good fellowship. They had experienced great things; they had become happy people.

However, Paul wanted to lead them into a much more meaningful life. Everything still revolved around their personal well-being, and they praised God for the blessings, but they did not understand the hope to which they had been called and the inheritance of which they could partake. They still only lived for themselves, but they were called to inherit together with Jesus who became poor so that we might become rich.

It is one thing to ask whether this or that is sin, but it is a completely different matter when you give yourself as a sacrifice in order to do God’s will. Then Jesus is not only a refuge in time of need; He becomes Lord and Master. Col. 2:6. Then you will receive a totally different hope.

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Rev. 3:21. Those who had only washed their garments and made them white in the blood of the Lamb did not have this hope. They stood there with palm branches and rejoiced that God and the Lamb had the power. Rev. 7:9-17. This was the state of the Ephesians, and this is also the state of many of God’s children today who stand with their palm branches and rejoice that Jesus has forgiven their sins and has shepherded them to living fountains of water so that they have a hope of eternal life and that Jesus will dry their tears. However, they do not sit in God’s intimate counsel and know what God’s mind is. They are not prophets; they neither feed lambs nor watch over any sheep. They do not have any responsibility and cannot say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” If they have been to a good meeting they wave their palm branches, but if it was dry and dead, they do not feel any responsibility—but they do criticize and are dissatisfied.

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will . . . .” Heb. 13:20-21.

God did not raise up Jesus from the dead because He was His Son; He raised Him up through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Jesus had made a covenant with the Father, which was that He would not do His own will as the Son of Man, but the will of Him who had sent Him. John 6:38; Heb. 10:5-9. It cost Jesus’ blood to live in this covenant without sinning. This was the blood of the covenant through which God could raise Him from the dead.

Jesus is that great Shepherd of the sheep. He did not go one way and the sheep another. Not at all! We have to go the same way. This is why Paul wanted them to receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. They were not only to be cleansed in Jesus’ blood, but they were also to enter into the new covenant—to do His will. Through faithfulness they, too, were to follow Jesus into the blood of the covenant, and in the strength of this blood of the covenant they would be raptured and meet Jesus in the air. This is the bride who follows the Lamb wherever He goes. They are God’s children and joint heirs with Christ. They are the ones who, together with the Lamb, will overcome the beast and the false prophet and establish the Millennium. Rev. 17:12-14. The entire creation is eagerly expecting this day. Rom. 8:17-21.

We need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can both see and comprehend all this. The result will be totally different from just going around thinking about yourself and having a good time and asking whether this or that is sin so you are not lost when you die. May God grant a powerful awakening in this area so that God’s children can enter into this life and hope to which they have been called and be partakers of the inheritance.